Stucco Home Care: Should Stucco Be Painted Or Sealed?
If your home is natural stucco, and hasn’t been painted or sealed, it can be prone to dirt pick-up, as well as mold, mildew and fungi growth. Rain brings with it a variety of contaminants, which can be absorbed into the stucco and lead to staining. This is because the natural stucco surface is porous and readily absorbs water. A thorough low pressure cleaning can help improve the look, but the staining can return over time.
Stucco care is one of our core services, so we’ve provided some stucco care tips.
Stucco Repair Tips
Stucco is extremely porous and, therefore, able to absorb water. Moisture penetration often causes cracks to form in stucco. In extremely bad cases, the stucco might bow or warp, pulling from the surface and allowing moisture to reach the interior structure of your home. Home settling and the freeze-thaw cycle also cause cracks in stucco.
Homeowners often ask how to seal stucco cracks so they don’t incur the expense of replacing the stucco. Depending on the size, it is best to fill cracks with latex caulk or a patching compound intended for stucco repair.
Stucco also stains easily, often due to mold and mildew. We do not recommend to paint over stains. They’ll eventually re-appear. Instead, part of our prep work is to clean stucco stains with a low pressure power washing. After cleaning, the proper paint system can protect your home from water intrusion, cracking, and staining, while allowing the home to continue to “breathe” and allow moisture to escape naturally from the inside out.
Preventing Moisture Wicking
Sealing your stucco is a great way to prevent water absorption. New stucco should be sealed with a clear concrete masonry sealer, typically made of a silicone material.
For older stucco that’s already showing signs of cracking, waterproof elastomeric paints are an excellent choice to preserve and protect your stucco. These sealers are waterproof, highly flexible and able to seal hairline cracks that occur even after the paint is applied. We make sure to properly clean the surface prior to repainting stucco. Otherwise, it might not adhere properly and can cause bubbling or peeling. However, if properly applied, elastomeric sealers will last 10 years.
There are many misconceptions about painting stucco, including moisture entrapment, and becoming an ongoing maintenance issue. It is in reality a smart long-term investment to clean and paint the stucco on your home. There are a variety of systems designed to clean and properly seal and waterproof your stucco home. The good news: Our professionals at Nolan Painting can help you choose the most appropriate system for your project and expertly preserve and protect your home. Hire the experts at Nolan Painting to repair and repaint your home’s stucco. By contracting our highly experienced team to care for your stucco, you can be assured of quality workmanship, exceptional results and a hassle-free process. Contact Nolan Painting today to discuss how we can make your stucco look great!
Sources:
www.silive.com/homegarden/2013/07/stains_on_exterior_stucco_shou.html
www.home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-hints-tips/cleaning-organizing/how-to-clean-stains-off-stucco2.htm
www.nolanpainting.com/2012/04/30/home-stucco-care-and-maintenance
www.hometips.com/repair-fix/siding-stucco-holes.html
www.usinspect.com/blog/preventative-maintenance-tip-week-sealing-stucco